Letter or bill file.



No. 638,726. n I Patented Dec. l2, I899.

F. KOBSMEIER.

LETTER 0R BILL FILE.

(Application filed June 26, 1899.)

(N0 Model.)

ma ucnnu men: can FHOTO-LITNO, WASHINGTON. n. cy

UNITED STATES PATENT EErcE,

FRED KORSMEIER, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR, BY DIRECT AND MESNEASSIGNMENTS, TO THE CHICAGO BINDER AND FILE COM- PANY, OF SAME PLACE.

ETTER 0R BiLL FILE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 638,726, dated December12, 1899.

Application filed June 26,1899. Serial No. 721,854. (No m del.)

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, FRED KoRsMEIEE, a citizenof the United States, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook andState of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inLetter or Bill Files; and I do hereby declare the following to be afull, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enableothers skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use thesame.

My invention relates to a novel construction in a letter or bill file ora book with removable leaves, the object being to provide a device ofthis character of simple, durable, and efficient construction; and itconsists in the features of construction and combinations of partshereinafterfully described and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings, illustrating my invention, Figure l is anend elevation of a device constructed in accordance with my invention.Fig. 2 is a similar view showing it opened to receive or remove leaves.Fig. 3 is a sectional view of same.

My device consists, primarily,of a back comprising two members A and B,pivotally connected together in the manner of a hinge. Said member Aconsists of a strip of metal provided at its ends with parallel flangesC of greater width than the strip and of irregular shape, one edgeforming the front edge of each of said flanges being curved and formingthe arc of a circle having the pivotal connection between said members Aand B for its center. The rear edges of said members A and B are soformed that when in the position shown in Fig 1-that is, closed toprevent insertion or removal of the pages-said edges form the outline ofa book-back, the pivot D of said members being adjacent said rear edgeand midway between the metal strips. The flanges E of said memberB areof less area than said flanges C and have receding front edges adaptedto just overlap the lower rear edges of the flanges C. One of saidflanges E is provided with a slot F, adapted to receive and engage theend of a lever G, pivotally mounted between two ears II on the adjacentflange C to lock said members -A and B in their closed position. Saidlever G" is normally held in position to engage said slot F by means ofa spring I, encircling the pin forming the pivot of said lever. Thefront edges of said flanges Care provided with a plurality of recessesJ, adapted to receive a bar K, held therein by means of springs L,connected at one end with said bar K and at their other ends with pins Mon the rivets D, forming the pivotal connection between said members Aand B, said bar being adapted to retain the leaves 0 in a block whenthey number less than enough to fill the entire space between the stripsof the members A and B. Said strips of said members A and'B each carrypins P between their ends, curved to form arcs of circles having saidpivotal connection between the members A and B as centers, said pinsbeing adapted to enter perforations in said leaves 0 to hold the sameagainst removal. Covers are mounted on said members A and B, eachcomprising a strip Q, rigidly mounted on the strips of said members,

to which the covers proper, R, are pivotally secured. Said strips Q, arealso connected by a strip S, of flexible material, passing over the rearedges of the flanges C and E and adapted to form the back of the device,which thus has the shape and general characteristics of abook.

When it is desired to insert or remove leaves, the free end of the leverG is pressed inwardly, thus releasing the members A and B and permittingthem to be relatively turned on their pivots and opened to the positionshown in Fig. 2, thus leaving an open space between the ends of the pinsP and permitting the leaves to be removed and replaced.

My device is very efficient and cheap, besides being very durable.

I claim as my invention- 1. A letter or bill file comprising two memberseach consisting of a metallic strip provided at its ends with parallelflanges of greater width than said strip and curved on their rear edges,perforations adjacent the rear edges ofeach of said flanges, pinspassing through said perforations to pivotally connect said members witheach other, a spring-actuated latch carried by one of said flanges ofone member, a perforation in the adjacent flange of said other memberadapted to receive said latch, pins on'each of said members parallelwith said flanges and curved concentric with the pivotal connectionbetween the same, a flexible book-back carried by said members, andcovers pivotally connected with said book-back, whereby said binder isgiven the appearance of and can be opened like a book without releasingsaid members to permit removal of the leaves, substantially asdescribed.

2. A letter or bill file, comprising two members, each comprising ametallic strip provided at its ends with parallel flanges projectingrearwardly from the rear edges of said strips and pivotally secured toeach other adjacent their rear edges to form a book-back, pins on eachof said members parallel with said flanges and curved to be con centricwith the pivots of said members, perforated leaves adapted to be mountedon said pins, recesses in the front edges of the flanges of one of saidmembers, a bar adapted to enter said notches to retain said leaves in ablock, springs for retaining said bar in said recesses, covers on saidmembers, a flexible back, and a latch on one of said members adapted toengage the other thereof to hold said members relatively in-position toprevent the removal of said leaves, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two Witnesses.

FRED KORSMEIER.

Witnesses:

RUDOLPH WM. Lorz, THEODORE KAUDNY.

